


I Never

by Niki



Series: Drinking Games [5]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Drinking Games, Drunken Revelations, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, I Never, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-14
Updated: 2013-01-14
Packaged: 2017-11-25 13:28:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/639363
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Niki/pseuds/Niki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Shepard should have known they wouldn't get through a party with these people without someone bringing up drinking games.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Never

**Author's Note:**

> This is an epilogue of sorts to [The Sure, the Straight, the Brave](http://archiveofourown.org/works/579508/chapters/1039968) but works also on its own as part of the Drinking Games series.
> 
> It took a bit longer than I intended (hurt/comfort bingo and RL issues...).
> 
> Also, I noticed while writing this that I have made everyone have quite a... colourful past. Or, as Joker puts it, everyone seems to be a slut. Sorry?

Shepard should have known they wouldn't get through a party with these people without someone bringing up drinking games. It doesn't matter that the war is over, doesn't matter they aren't on the Normandy, doesn't matter that the crowd is a bit more diverse than usually.

It's his and Kaidan's house-warming party, in their apartment on the Citadel (The aquarium with its fish stayed on the Normandy, they have another one in the apartment. Yes, it also has a VI. The space hamster travels with them. There is no puppy.) and as soon as most of the guests have left and only their crew remains... (well, not all of them currently their crew, but that's how Shepard thinks of all of them) perhaps it's inevitable that Sam and James bring up drinking games. 

There are only fourteen of them left, people with families had to leave earlier, so they fit on and around the sofas – Kaidan and Shepard sitting on the floor, leaning on one as they had gotten used to on the Normandy.

“Oh, come on!” Sam says, when Shepard meets the suggestion with a groan.

“Once more, for old times' sake?” James suggests, grinning.

“Seriously?” asks Miranda. “Truth or Dare?”

“Oi, the Normandy game nights are sacred!” Joker informs her.

“Why did I miss all the fun traditions?” Jack asks, smirking and raising her bottle of something that looks like vodka. Neat. Shepard is pretty sure they didn't have any in their bar.

“I'm just happy Diana had to leave already,” he says, resigned.

“And my mom,” Kaidan adds, heart-felt.

“How about I Never?” Jack suggests.

“How are we forcing our hosts to spill the beans about the whole secret wedding thing if we don't play Truth or Dare?” James demands.

“By asking?” Shepard suggests. “It's not like the secret part matters anymore.”

“What's the fun in that?” James asks. Sam hits him in the arm. 

“We'd get answers, dumbass.”

“Fine! In honour of our hosts, we're going to have a modified Circle of Truth,” James declares. “Everyone gets to ask them something in connection of the damn marriage, and we can be done with it. Okay?”

“Are we asked?” Shepard asks.

“No. That's what you get for eloping,” Kasumi reminds them, grinning. “I'll start. Who proposed?”

Shepard and Kaidan look at each other, and frown. “I don't think there was an actual proposal,” Shepard says.

“You just said you had thought about it,” Kaidan says. “James, you almost ended up witnessing it.”

“What? When? Oh, no... Really? In the middle of that damn final run?”

“Yup, on the loading ramp of the Normandy, and I think that's pretty damn appropriate,” Shepard says, grinning.

“Anyway,” Kaidan continues the story. “There was no actual proposal, we just sort of ended up discussing the mechanics. Rings, weddings, you know.”

“And decided we didn't want a wedding that would turn into a damn media circus no matter how we'd go about it, so we just... visited a registrar's office, and filled in the paperwork.”

“That's it? No ceremony?” Sam asks, frowning.

Shepard looks at Kaidan, smiling. “Well, yeah.”

“Do you take this man and so forth, they do integrate the traditional words into the civil ceremony.”

“And that was your question, Sam,” Shepard says, looking at Jack, who is sitting next to her.

“What do I care? You got hitched, hooray. Hope the wedding night was good.”

“Very,” Shepard says, smirking. 

“What's your official name?” Steve asks with a small smile.

Shepard wonders what he knows, or guesses. “Takeo John Shepard-Alenko,” he replies, quietly. 

His reply is met with hoots and applauds, and a round of drinks. 

“You take his name, too?” James asks Kaidan, who nods, smiling. “What can you do, we're old-fashioned.”

“I think that's cute,” Rahna says from other side of Kasumi. Of course, she hadn't taken her husband's name. Shepard wonders, suddenly, if she regrets it now that he is gone. He will always have Kaidan's name, even if he loses him, and for some reason it feels meaningful. Not that he is ready to lose the man for the next hundred years or so.

“Have we exhausted all marriage-related questions yet?” Kaidan asks.

“Are you... have you thought about kids?” Tali asks.

Shepard figures it's fair, seeing how he has tried to talk her and Garrus into adopting. He meets Kaidan's eyes again.

“Yes,” he says. One day he will want to help get a kid off the streets, but right now there is too much work in the galaxy to consider concentrating on just one person. “One day.”

“That it?” Kaidan asks from the others.

“What did you wear?” EDI asks. “I read that it is customary to wear traditional clothes for a wedding.”

“Alliance blues,” Shepard says, shrugging. “What we were wearing anyway.”

“Not even a dress uniform?” EDI asks, and she actually seems disappointed.

“That would have alerted someone to the fact something was going on. Especially because we would have had to try to find dress uniforms from somewhere. We didn't really have that much stuff after Shepard had just been discharged. We didn't even have this place yet.”

“Did you tell anyone yourselves?” Joker asks. “Or did everyone have to learn about it from somewhere else?”

“We told Kaidan's mother.”

“And me,” Rahna says. “But that's just because I asked.”

“They did call us,” Tali says. “They said they were going to tell everyone else, too, but _someone_ jumped the gun.”

Liara, EDI, and Kasumi all look very innocent. Shepard decides he doesn't really care who spilled the beans since none of their friends had been too upset about it.

“Okay, are we done with the marriage _now_?” James asks.

“No,” Shepard says, kissing Kaidan. “But I think we've exhausted all the possible questions.”

“I think this is a good moment to present you with our wedding gift,” Garrus says, extracting himself from Tali. 

“I thought you got us a gift already?” Kaidan asks, frowning, looking at the over-flowing gift table.

“Oh no,” Tali says. “That was a house-warming gift.”

Garrus returns with a rectangle box and hands it over to Shepard. It's surprisingly heavy.

“Before the Battle of London you made a request,” Garrus says. “And I know you did make it, but...”

“You didn't...” Shepard tears the box open. “My baby!” he yells, cradling the black metal cylinder like it's a child. 

Kaidan laughs, a joyful sound, and Shepard can't help but assemble his Black Widow on the spot, checking the sight, aiming it towards the windows (it doesn't have a heat sink in, naturally). “How?”

“The Shadow Broker may have helped a bit,” Garrus admits. “And James helped me clean and repair it.”

“But Garrus sighted it and I had to pry it off his little grey fingers when he realised how much better it is than his Javelin,” James says, wryly.

“Slander,” Garrus declares.

“I'll get you one for your birthday,” Shepard promises.

He's still cradling his favourite weapon of all time, and doesn't think he's going to let go any time soon. He has missed his baby. Kaidan is looking at him with an indulgent expression, and he grins back. He's getting pleasantly buzzed from alcohol and happiness.

“So? Drinking games?” he suggests, not even dreading the prospect. Even if he knows he's going to end up regretting it.

\- - -

“I have never faced a Reaper on foot,” Jack declares, and actually sounds sorry.

Shepard drinks, and nods at Kaidan and James, “Harbinger totally counts.”

“What about the proto-Reaper at the Collector base?” Garrus asks. 

“Close enough,” Shepard says, shrugging.

“Big enough,” Miranda agrees, and drinks. 

“I have never killed anything or anyone,” Rahna says, grinning, and everyone else in the room drinks. 

Shepard was actually worried about her presence, but she seems to fit right in with their crew, and is getting on worryingly well with Kasumi and Sam. And her presence doesn't seem to limit Kaidan's topics of conversation at all, which was another thing Shepard worried about.

“I have never had sex on the Normandy,” Miranda says dryly.

Shepard toasts Kaidan and drinks, and his husband empties his glass with a flair. Tali and Garrus drink, as well as Joker, Steve and James. 

“For an Alliance ship, we do see some action,” Joker says, grinning. 

“I have never given a blowjob,” Sam informs them, smiling. 

Shepard toasts her and drinks, as does Kaidan. James seems to be flushing, but he's drinking as well. As are Steve and Rahna. Shepard's eyes stop on Jack, who's not drinking.

“What's in it for me?” she asks, shrugging.

“Oh, I could tell you,” Shepard says, grinning. 

“Shepard's School of Cock-Sucking,” remembers James, and chuckles.

“EDI, find me Lieutenant Greene so that I may have her killed,” Shepard says, but he's smiling.

“Done,” EDI says. 

“It was a joke,” Joker tells her.

“I know,” she says.

“No, it wasn't,” Shepard insists. “Fine! Liara, send her one of those non-disclosure agreements, will you?”

“As you wish,” she says, grinning. “But I think it's too late already.”

“I'm pretty sure I don't want to know,” Kasumi says to Miranda.

“What have I missed now?” Jack asks.

“I do have a recording of the unedited interview...” Sam says.

“No!”

“But Shepard, it's such a... a humanising look at the saviour of the galaxy.”

“I have never blackmailed a friend with embarrassing vids,” Shepard says.

“It's not your turn,” Sam replies, grinning.

“I have never slept with a woman... sober,” Kaidan says, grinning widely, and Shepard laughs at him. 

“You had to go there,” he says, but doesn't drink. It's not like he has, either. Most of his sexual history before Kaidan was drunken one night stands, and his work had been almost exclusively with men.

“Really?” Kasumi says, looking at them. “Really really?” 

“Really really,” Shepard replies, while Joker, James, Sam and Garrus drink.

“Do threesomes count?” Jack asks, but takes a pre-emptive drink anyway.

“Totally,” Sam says, looking at her, intrigued.

“Sorry, princess,” Jack says, grinning. “Only if cocks are involved.” 

“You're missing out,” Sam assures her.

“I have never... what haven't I done?” Shepard needs to stop and think. “I've never... been happier than I am this moment?” he suggests, grinning. 

“Sap.”

“Yeah, okay, I have never been to school,” he says, in the end.

“You haven't?” Rahna asks, almost dropping the glass she raised instinctively.

“Street kid,” Shepard says, grinning. 

“Self-taught,” Kaidan adds. 

“Well, that and the Alliance,” Shepard says. “They did take care of history and sciences. Me and Tric concentrated on literature and galactic affairs.”

“Literature?” Rahna asks. “In the streets?”

“I speak to thee plain soldier,” Shepard says, then turns to Kaidan. He's been re-reading Henry V again, but this is for Kaidan, and not for anyone else. “A good heart is the sun and the moon; or, rather, the sun, and not the moon; for it shines bright and never changes, but keeps his course truly. If thou would have such a one, take me; and take me, take a soldier; take a soldier, take a king.”

Kaidan smiles, indulgently, and leans in for a kiss. “I will not quote the role of Katherine,” he says. “For one, I don't speak French, for other...”

Shepard kisses him again. 

“Okay, fine. Literature in the streets,” Rahna says, smiling. “It's just that English literature was my major subject in the university.”

“I just read Shakespeare for fun,” Shepard says, shrugging. 

“As street kids do,” Sam notes, dryly. 

“Born with a touch of greatness,” Liara says, smiling, and is she writing that damn book already?

“We all have our methods of escape,” Shepard says. “15th Century France was far enough for me.”

“So what were you? A pickpocket? A merc?” Jack asks, grinning, and Shepard will not go there tonight.

“A merc,” he says, and if half of the people in the room look down at their drinks at that... well, at least he can count on none of them saying anything. He doesn't really care if the others know, but... he will not tell his husband's first love that he was a whore.

Kaidan pulls him closer, and he leans his head against his shoulder, feeling a light kiss on his forehead. 

“I have never spoken to a Reaper,” Joker says, and Shepard groans.

“Don't you think I'm drunk enough?” Shepard asks, and drinks. “Kaidan was there for at least... two of those Reapers.”

“They didn't talk to me, honey.”

“Did you just call him 'honey'?” James asks.

“What, do you think he calls him 'Commander' in bed?” Kasumi asks. “Or Captain these days, of course.”

James looks like he's actually considering it. 

“Yeah, okay, am I the only one here who doesn't get off on picturing them getting it on?” Jack asks. “On second thought...” she says, looking at them, considering.

“EDI, are you playing?” Shepard asks, hurriedly.

“I still cannot drink, Captain,” she says, and the use of his rank makes half of the room burst in laughter. 

“I have never swum,” Tali says, in an almost desperate attempt to steer the tone away from a bedroom, and Shepard is grateful. 

Everyone but Garrus drinks to that, and they move on. 

“I have never gone 'skinny-dipping,'” Garrus says, dryly, and everyone who was present at the relevant Truth or Dare round laughs. 

“I have never had sex on the first date,” Liara says, getting into the spirit of the game unlike during their Truth or Dares, and Shepard isn't sure whether it's because she's drunk already, or the fact she actually has a sex life these days.

Shepard can't help looking at Kaidan and smiling. They hold each other's gazes while they drink.

“Too much information,” James declares, and Shepard raises his eyebrow at him. “Really, _that_ is too much for you? Why are we playing this game again?”

“I have never kissed someone whose name I didn't know,” Steve says.

Shepard, Kaidan, James, Sam and Jack all drink. 

“Who cares about _names_?” Jack demands.

“How can you do background checks without names?” Miranda asks, and Shepard isn't sure whether she's serious or not. He thinks it's probably better that he doesn't know.

“I have never _slept_ with anyone whose name I didn't know. At some point,” James declares, grinning. 

Shepard, Kaidan and Jack are the only ones to drink, this time. 

“I have never had a one night stand,” Kasumi declares.

Shepard drinks, so do Kaidan, Miranda, Jack, James, Steve and Sam.

“You are such sluts,” Joker says, sadly, shaking his head.

“I have never had sex with more than one person at the same time,” Rahna says.

Shepard drinks, as do Jack, and a blushing Sam... and Kaidan. 

“Really, love?” Shepard asks, quietly, smiling.

“I can tell you about it later. But not much. I think I might have been a bit drunk,” his husband whispers back, smiling sheepishly.

“I have never played Spin the Bottle,” Miranda says, and there is laughing and blushing and a lot of drinking.

“Really?” Kasumi catches on. “In the Normandy?”

“That's how we found out about them,” Sam says, pointing at Shepard and Kaidan. 

“Oooh, this is a story I want to hear.”

“I think this is a good moment to go find another bottle,” Shepard declares, and gets up. 

He can still hear Sam's tale, of course, but at least he is not expected to participate in the telling. And he can choose a bottle of something not quite so strong so that their guests don't end up passing out from the game.

“I've never had a one night stand that turned into something more,” Sam says, somewhat wistfully.

“Uhh...” Shepard and Kaidan look at each other. “I don't think we count?”

“Not the spirit of the thing at least, even if, technically...” Kaidan says, grinning. 

“Well, hell, no one else is drinking,” Shepard says, and drinks. “It's not like we can disprove that's the reason I was so... interested in you when we met.”

“Yeah, well...” They get caught smiling and looking at each other until Jack kicks Shepard over the distance of the sofa table.

“Hey, love birds, share with the class. What one night stand? I thought he just finally gave into your obvious pining.”

“Hey!”

“It seems they had a drunken one night stand years ago which they both forgot about,” James explains, gleefully.

“Sluts,” Joker repeats.

“But if they forgot about it, why would it count?” Kasumi asks. 

“Because he ruined me for other men,” Shepard says, deadpan.

Jack kicks him again.

“It was my last one night stand ever,” Shepard explains, rubbing his knee.

“Yeah, well... Likewise,” Kaidan says, smiling sheepishly

“You're just making that up to make it sound more romantic,” Jack decides. 

“No, but... there were other reasons to it, so... the fact remains, even if the explanation is less romantic.”

“Like deciding to drink less,” Kaidan says, dryly. “Much less.”

“Wait, how do you even know about it if you both forgot? Don't tell me there was a Shadow Broker file?” Kasumi demands, and Shepard and Kaidan turn to stare at Liara, who is shaking her head.

“No, that would be too much.”

“It's like a Greek play,” Shepard says. “There was a... token.”

“Token?” Kaidan asks, snorting. 

“'Stolen shirt' doesn't sound as good, and the principle is the same. And, anyway, why are we talking about our sex life again? It's your turn, babe.”

“Did you just call him 'babe?'”

“Oh, shut up.”

“I have never had more than one serious relationship,” Kaidan says, and Shepard decides they're a lost cause, anyway, and kisses him, properly. He's drunk enough to get away with it.

“Oi, Shep, it's your turn,” Kasumi reminds him as they pull apart. 

“And it's polite to at least find out who drinks to your 'never,'” James says.

“Steve, you, Joker and Sam. Garrus, depending on his definition of 'serious,'” lists Kaidan, and grins when James gapes at him. “How did I do?”

“You been sneaking looks into the Shadow Broker files, too?” Steve asks.

“No, I just actually remember our previous drinking game evenings. And, well, took a guess with Kasumi because I don't know her.”

“But you know me?” Miranda asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Am I wrong?” 

“No,” she admits, then looks at Shepard. “So, he's not just a pretty face, then.”

“Pretty face, smoking body, killer biotics, and damn I adore his brain,” Shepard lists, grinning, figuring he'll get away with a lot due to the whole newly-wed thing. 

“I have never been in love more than once,” Shepard says, softening his grin into a smile.

Even if he knows Kaidan will drink, and that might be embarrassing with Rahna in the room. Interestingly, Rahna drinks too, but of course he doesn't know enough about her life to tell if that means anything.

“I've never died,” Joker says, very seriously. 

“Goddamn you, Joker, you really don't think I'm drunk enough?” Shepard demands, then empties his glass and reaches for the re-fill bottle. They will have an empty drinks cabinet after tonight. 

“I have never been married,” Tali says, and does she sound a little wistful, or is he imagining things? Shepard hopes Garrus is paying attention. 

There are no surprise drinkers here, Rahna, Steve, Kaidan and himself, toasting each other and emptying their glasses. 

“I have never woken anyone up by having loud sex,” Garrus says, pointedly, looking at Shepard.

“What? Were you asleep in the corridor in front of the captain's quarters? Because the Normandy is insulated better than that,” Joker defends his baby.

“In his cabin, sure,” Garrus mutters, and Shepard and Kaidan drink, sheepishly, hoping no one demands to hear the story. 

Sam drinks, too, and draws at least some of the attention. 

“I thought my room mate was out, okay?”

“I have never slept with more than one person in my life,” Liara says, and Shepard wonders again just how drunk she is. It's not like she has had to drink much during the game. 

Shepard expects everyone but Tali to drink to that but interestingly enough Rahna doesn't, either. 

“I have never had sex with more than one person within 24 hours,” Steve says.

“As in, separate times?” Shepard, Jack and Kaidan are the only people who drink.

“I have never drunk so much I lost my memory,” James declares, gleefully, looking at Shepard and Kaidan, who drink sheepishly. 

So does Sam. And Jack, but that doesn't surprise Shepard as much.

“Oh come on, I'm very light. And I was a student. It's practically part of the curriculum,” Sam says defensively in response to Shepard's raised eyebrow.

“I'm glad I didn't go to your uni,” Rahna says, smiling slightly.

“I have never had sex with someone more than twice my age,” Kasumi says fast when Sam opens her mouth looking mischievous. 

Shepard is the only one who drinks. 

“Okay, this story I want to hear,” Jack says.

“No, you don't,” says Sam, seriously.

“You don't,” Steve repeats.

“You really, really don't,” James says.

“No,” agrees Kaidan.

“And I'm not telling,” Shepard says.

“Fine. Spoilsports. I have never kissed anyone in this room,” Jack says, grinning. “And I don't want to.”

“I think I've kissed most people in this room,” Sam says, giggling. “And before Joker calls me a slut, I would like to remind him that so has he.”

“Man, who ever thought that Spin the Bottle was a good idea?” Joker wonders sadly while he drinks.

Shepard, Kaidan, Garrus, Liara and Steve all point at James.

“Hey! It was Sam's fault!” he claims, holding his palms up.

“I have never slept with a co-worker,” Rahna says. “Well, not someone I wasn't married to before we became co-workers, at least,” she amends.

Everyone else drinks. 

“Well, I suppose it would depend on your definition of a co-worker,” Liara says, smiling slightly. 

“Feron totally counts,” Shepard says.

“And for the rest of us, there isn't even a question,” Joker says, grinning. “Except... Jack, want to enlighten us?”

“No,” she says, but she's grinning instead of scowling, so Shepard supposes Joker's bits are safe despite the needling. 

“I have never fantasised about anyone in this room,” Miranda says, smirking. 

Shepard drinks, not even ashamed of it. Kaidan drinks, and then he blushes, because... Rahna is drinking as well. Well, well, well... that's a lot less ambiguous, and she is blushing as well. James is flushing, too, but glances at Steve while he drinks. Everyone but Miranda and Kasumi end up drinking, and Jack? Really? She smirks at Shepard when he raises an eyebrow at her. Oh. 

“I have never had sex with anyone in this room!” Sam declares. “Too bad,” she mutters, after.

“Didn't we do this already?” Joker asks.

“No, we did sex on the ship. Keep up,” James says. “Cheers.”

“I have never flirted with a ship,” Kaidan says.

Sam and Joker drink, to universal hilarity.

“I have never shopped for groceries alone,” Shepard declares sadly.

“You'll get there one day, sweetheart,” Kaidan says consolingly but with a wicked grin. 

“I can't wait for the news holos about the galactic hero being confused by the produce aisle,” James says, grinning. 

“I'm taking my mother-in-law with me. She can protect me from the perils of fresh produce.”

“You guys should have seen it,” Kaidan says. “My mother made him carry everything, and he agreed, meekly as a lamb, scared that he was going to have to make decisions about products.”

“How am I supposed to know which kind of milk and butter we are supposed to have? At least with field rations you know what you have is what you get. Besides, Apollo's delivers.”

“Yes, dear.”

“Are we done with the scary domestic stuff now?” Joker asks. “I have never gotten a tattoo.” 

“Is this a dedicated campaign to get me?” Shepard asks, and drinks.

James and Jack drink as well, but it's Sam and Kasumi that draw attention. 

“Really?” James says, smirking at Sam.

“Not Truth or Dare, remember?” Sam says, grinning. 

“And Kaidan, you never got that matching tattoo to Shepard's work, then?” James asks, still smirking. “What was it? 'This is the way Shepard spent the last night before...'”

“No,” Kaidan says. “I still think you should have stuck to the Shakespeare story, honey.”

“But you didn't like my quotes.”

“ _Shall I compare thee to a Summer's day_ , Shepard? Really?”

“Nor shall Death brag thou wanderest in his shade,” Shepard quotes, defending his choice. “So I wanted to think about you not dying.”

“I thought you were just making fun of me.”

“Well, that too. But 'thou art more lovely and more temperate'... well, okay, maybe not that.”

“But thy eternal Summer shall not fade,” quotes Rahna, quietly. “Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest.”

Is she calling his husband pretty? Shepard doesn't know how to react to that.

“Oh no, now there are two,” James moans. 

“I seem to have a type,” Kaidan says dryly, but shares a small intimate smile with Shepard. 

“You mean she really is your ex?” James says, sitting up. “I though that was just Shepard being Shepard.”

“No, we...” Kaidan starts at the same time Rahna says, “Not quite. We never... uhh, got there.”

“Holy shit, we knew this!” Sam says. “The Circle of Truth!”

“How can you remember names after all that booze?” Joker asks. 

“Because I looked it up... oops, pretend I didn't say that,” Sam says, covering her mouth with both of her hands.

Kaidan is hiding his face in his. Rahna is laughing, though, so he looks up and shares a smile with her. Shepard might be jealous in other circumstances but Kaidan turns his smile on him, and yeah, past is past. 

\- - -

They lose Liara first, as she makes her excuses and leaves to join Feron. Tali and Garrus also leave after a while, citing an early transport back to Palaven. Rahna will take the same transport, but get off in her colony, so she bids them farewell as well, reiterating her promise to keep in touch. Miranda leaves with congratulations but no mention of where she's heading. Shepard suspects it has something to do with lingering Cerberus cells, but doesn't voice his suspicions. Jack leaves when she runs out of vodka, declaring her intention of visiting Purgatory to “get some use” out of her shore leave, and to “fuck this touchy-feely stuff” out of her system.

Steve, James, Sam and Kasumi show no sign of getting out, and as much as Shepard enjoys spending time with them, he's had a long day, all this emotion is draining, and he's drunk enough to get a little fixated on the warm body next to his. His husband. The word still makes him a little giddy.

“I love you all, but please get out. I want to take my husband to bed and have some drunken sex before I have to entertain my mother-in-law again.”

“Don't mind us,” Sam says with a mischievous smile, snuggled against the sofa, her feet on James' lap, and continues her discussion with Steve. 

“Your call,” Shepard says, grinning, and pulls Kaidan up with him. If the others really want to crash on their sofas for the night... Well, their bedroom has a door.

“Are they...?” Kaidan asks when they walk towards the bedroom, arms around each other.

“Yup.”

“And are we...?”

“Yup.”

“Just checking.”

And then Kaidan kisses him, and Shepard can't tell afterwards if he even remembered to close the said door in his hurry to reach the bed.


End file.
